The present invention relates generally to waveguides and more particularly to waveguide power dividers and combiners for high frequency systems.
Devices and methods for dividing and combining power in high frequency systems are numerous and well known in the art. Such devices and methods are employed, for example, in a transmitter for combining signals from a plurality of lower power devices to form a high power signal for transmission through a single antenna. Similarly, a signal from a single antenna may be divided into a plurality of signals for corresponding satellite or radar antennas.
Waveguides are commonly employed in the art for dividing and combining high frequency signals. Generally, a waveguide is a hollow member that transmits high frequency energy, i.e. microwave and millimeter wave, along a longitudinal axis thereof. Waveguides are available in a variety of sizes and configurations such as a “Y” or a “T,” in addition to a ring hybrid, among others. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,691 to Rammos discloses a parallelipiped having an internal volume divided by partitions. The partitions form parallel input and output guides and may further be arranged to form walls of linear polarization guides having a variable cross section. Unfortunately, the rectangular guides and partitions of Rammos consume a relatively large volume and further contribute to insertion losses throughout the waveguide.
The Magic-Tee is a well known waveguide power divider and combiner, wherein output ports or input ports are positioned at 90° bends to a main axis of an apparatus. Unfortunately, Magic-Tee dividers require extensive backshort tuning at each port to minimize loss, which results in increased manufacturing costs. Furthermore, additional 90° bends are required for an inline Magic-Tee configuration, which results in the consumption of additional volume along with further insertion loss.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a compact power divider and combiner that is capable of providing low loss input power dividing and combining in addition to improved port-to-port isolation without the need for extensive waveguide backshort tuning. The power divider should further be compact and inexpensive to manufacture.